Darkened Skies
by Aa11yah
Summary: Why can't things just go as planned? That's the one recurring question that seems to pop up every few weeks in the life of Maya Lynch, Level 7 SHIELD Agent.
1. 1

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

The toe of the twenty year old's laced-up boot fell against the ground in a regular pattern every other second.

Tap.

Tap.

"If you even think about it, Lynch, I can and will throw you out of the window."

The girl rolled her eyes before turning to glower at the man who sat on the seat beside where she was stood, "oh, I do apologise, Coulson, how can I ever make it up to you?"

"By keeping your feet planted firmly on the ground. You're giving me a headache."

Opting not to reply, the girl simply gave him a slight smirk as she pulled her jacket tighter around herself, shivering slightly. The end of a six month long undercover mission had finally come and Maya Lynch was definitely looking forward to her own bed. The only problem was, the pilot seemed to have decided that returning to the ground as soon as possible wasn't his greatest concern.

"Sit down, Maya, I'm going stir crazy just looking at you," Jared Gardner, her partner, grinned up at her.

The faint sound of static in her ear let the girl know that the man on the other side of her comm was connecting and waiting to be debriefed on everything that had happened in the past 4,371 hours.

"The target has been eliminated, Fury. I—" she rolled her eyes as the thunder roared in the background, drowning out the rest of her sentence.

"What I was trying to say was that I managed to —" Crash!

The girl was cut off once more as the jet shook and lurched to the side, tossing the girl to the ground. Maya was flung across the small area, hitting the divider between themselves and the pilot with a painful crack. She groaned faintly at the pain in her ribs, at least one was definitely broken.

"We're going down!" The yell from the pilot set her heart racing as she tried to force her way back to her seat - her biggest chance at survival at that moment.

Hands grabbed her forearms roughly, dragging her into a seat. She buckled the belt, a tiny voice in the back of her mind wondering whether it would actually have any effect on her.

"What the hell's going on?!"

The same five words echoed in the earphones of all three agents but none of the three could find it within themselves to answer him through the lumps in their throats, although it could also be blamed on the erratic tossing and turning of the jet - that would be their excuse if any of them survived the outcome.

Maya looked between the two men, one on each side of her, through half closed eyes, her mind and face dangerously blank. What seemed like hours passed with the three of them holding tightly onto the straps securing them to their seats, knuckles turning white and teeth biting harshly into their lips without caring for the blood that would be drawn. She slowly released the belt around her from the death grip she had it in and reached out to take a hand of each of the men beside her, wanting to at least know there was someone with her when she reached the ground.

Jared Gardner closed his eyes tightly, his lips moving silently as he mouthed a prayer, hoping for the safety of his only remaining family member - the girl sitting beside him, one of her hands clasped tightly in his own. He wasn't religious, you couldn't be when you did what he did for a living, but for the safety of his little sister, he would do anything.

Phil Coulson glanced at the two young adults beside him, feeling a strong surge of regret for his inability to do anything to help either of them. He had watched Maya grow up and she had become almost a daughter to him. His lips twitched into a tiny sad smile as a shaking hand slid into his own, seeking a type of comfort that didn't need to be verbal.

The jet sunk down even lower and the three wondered how much longer they would be in this terrible free fall. The thick black smoke obscuring the windows made it impossible to see how close they were to the ground and the mystery only made the waiting even worse.

With a loud crack that echoed like a gunshot, the glass on the window opposite the group smashed, shards shooting in all directions as the pressure around them changed suddenly.

They didn't have much more than a few seconds to try to catch their breath, though, because with an ear piercing boom, the jet hurtled towards the ground which was mere seconds away from collision.

The metal, glass and steel that surrounded them seemed to fall apart, debris was hurled towards them, sharp edges breaking through skin.

A final crash and lurch signalled the agonising impact, then almost silence, a clangour echoing in Maya's ears as she tried to fight against the darkness that was beginning to creep in. The world spun around her, colours fading into one another until she could barely recognise her own hands as they rubbed at her eyes, trying in vain to suppress the hot tears of both pain and terror.

Her lips moved as she tried to yell but nothing reached her ears.

She carefully blinked, trying to get adjusted to her surroundings. It appeared that with the jet colliding with the damp grass around her, she had been flung from her seat, the belt having snapped, and had landed around a hundred metres from the wreckage.

Looking down at herself, the girl almost gagged at the sight of a pole around the size of her wrist impaling her left leg just below her knee. It seemed that upon seeing the severity of her wounds, Maya was able to feel the pain of them, and she was forced to turn on her side to throw up as her stomach lurched - nothing was left in her stomach, so a mixture of bile and blood soaked the ground beside her as she slumped backwards, a wave of paralysing weakness leaving her unable to so much as keep her eyes open for any longer.


	2. 2

**April 13th 2011**

The light burned her eyes as she blinked slowly, trying and failing to push herself up. It took a few seconds for the girl to realise that she was in a hospital room, alive despite the horror that was the wreckage that replayed itself behind her eyelids. A hoarse cough escaped her chapped lips, irritating her dry throat.

"Good morning to you, too, Lynch."

A faint smile moved her lips upwards, she was okay.

Despite the heart-wrenching nightmares that kept her awake at night, it had actually been 126 days since that fateful evening. 4 months, 126 days, 3024 hours, 181440 minutes.

124 days since she had woken up only to be told that her honorary big brother hadn't made it. Had bled out alone mere metres away from her, unconscious before the jet had even collided with the ground, one saving grace being that he hadn't been in as much pain as he could have been.

That thought wasn't much of a comfort to Maya, though, who still picked up her mobile, half a number typed out before the memory and realisation hit her once more and she was left to drown on the tears that clogged her throat and turned her eyes red.

After a glass of room temperature water, the girl felt like she could finally reply without sounding like a chain smoker.

"Morning, Coulson, what brings you here to my lovely abode at this time?"

Still recovering from her injuries, Maya was still bed bound, unlike her Supervising Officer, Phil Coulson, who had been released with a dislocated shoulder and a few scars.

The man's eyes glanced over her, resting temporarily on the heavily bandaged stump that was what remained of her left leg before meeting her eyes, "we have someone to meet you."

With a huff, the girl forced herself into a sitting position with only a little help from her SO and friend and glared at him, "are you joking? Nobody can know or I'll be kicked out!"

The older Agent smirked slightly, taking a seat on the chair beside her, "Fury and I trust him. He can build the best prosthetic possible."

The girl's guards raised the instant a man sauntered into the room. "Wow, Agent, it's nice that you think so much of me."

"Is this a joke, Coulson?"

"What's wrong with me, Stumpy?" Tony Stark smirked down at her.

Coulson rose to his feet, ready to defend the girl, but she cut him off with a faint laugh, glad that for once, she wasn't being faced with sympathy. "So, what are we starting with?"

Stark took a seat on the other side of her bed, leaning back as he took his phone out and began to play on what seemed to be a game from what the sounds were.

"Well, you're gonna tell me what you need for your new leg, and I'll build it for you."

With a slight grin, the two got to work on a design, the girl detailing everything she had already decided on and the precise way she wanted it.

Coulson smiled as he rose to his feet, leaving the room without either of the two looking up from their conversation, half-finished blueprints haphazardly spread out on the quilt.

——————————————————

**May 6th 2011**

Maya's eyes glistened ever so slightly, something completely shameful for a SHIELD Agent, as she stared at the robotic limb on the table of Tony Stark's workshop. Her hands tightened on the handles of her crutches as she began to hop towards the workstation, holding her breath in anticipation.

"So, what d'ya think, Stumpy?" The insufferable man had, unfortunately, decided not to drop the nickname, instead using it instead of a name unless the situation called for it - which, most of the time it did not.

Rolling her eyes at the comment, the girl gave him a slight smile, nodding her head in thanks.

Iron Man grinned right back, seemingly understanding what she was trying to convey through just her facial expression - Maya had changed a lot since the crash, or so he had heard, she had become quieter, colder, unwilling to let anyone else in.

"Do you want me to leave while you try her on?"

The girl let out a slightly shaky breath, "no...could you - do you think you could stay? Check I don't blow up, I mean."

The man nodded his head, pulling out a chair for her - she didn't mention that it was a new addition to the room (Tony didn't like chairs with arm rests, preferring those uncomfortable stools that could be easily dragged around without wasting precious seconds twisting them to face the correct way) and instead took a seat, giving him a nod of acknowledgement.

With a light sigh, slightly shaky but not that it would be noticed by anyone unless they were listening carefully, the girl picked up the matte black limb and noted how it was heavy - not enough that it would be trouble to use, but heavy enough that she would be able to notice it was there, something that she appreciated knowing how Tony strived to have the best. She carefully bent the curved strip of metal that was the foot piece - this was something she had specifically asked for. Despite the chance at having a more realistic looking leg, the girl had preferred the idea of a leg designed exclusively for running, not wanting to even _think_ about not being able to continue with her work for the Agency (her life).

She turned the leg over in her hands, smiling gently at the immaculately welded curves and details before she slowly unwrapped the scratchy off-white bandages and began to fit it onto the metal plate at the end of the mutilated stump which was what remained of her left leg.

She had not yet completely healed in the five long months since the accident. Bruises had disappeared slowly, leaving only the slightest yellow hue to her skin below the bandages, surrounding the barely healed stitches. At the end of the stump was a metal plate, fused to her very bone in a completely experimental procedure that would hopefully allow her to use the prosthetic as if it were a real flesh leg. She could hardly bear to think of what would happen if it didn't work - her pessimistic mind naturally dredging up the worst possible scenarios.

Tony watched as she slowly and unsurely rose to her feet - well, foot- and approached her as to be prepared if she stumbled. He stopped and stood still a few metres away, noticing the reproachful look she shot him as he tried to hover over her, and waited for her to try to take a few steps towards him. Her hand reached towards the counter, grabbing the side without conscious thought.

"It'll take a while to get used to. You probably can't feel anything at the moment. Tests show that that's normal - you're still healing." The man's arms waved around erratically, nerves visible in his movements but not his expression or voice. Tony tucked his hands into the pockets of his trousers in a hopeless attempt to hide the slight shake from the eagle eyed Agent.

Yes, she stumbled a few times, falling to the cold floor and scraping her bare knees and palms, but each and every time she rose back up with shaky arms and forced herself to try again until she had finally took five steps unaided. It was then that Tony thrust the crutches towards her and told her that he expected her to have those with her at all times until she was sure that she would be okay.

Maya just smiled and nodded.


	3. 3

**April 27th 2012**

"Come on, Stumpy!"

"Oh, I _do_ apologise that I am unable to find enough enthusiasm for you, Tin Man."

Pepper Potts, CEO of Stark Industries smiled warmly at the blonde haired woman as she entered the room with Pepper's boyfriend.

"Hi, Pepper, sorry we took so long. Tony decided that the wine cabinet here is too 'cheap'." Maya shrugged slightly as she approached the woman.

The red haired CEO laughed gently, nodding as if that explained everything, which to her it did.

As glasses of expensive champagne were poured, the three stood by the balcony, taking in the view as Maya listened to Tony and his girlfriend discuss their ownership of the tower.

**_July 15th 2010  
_**

_**"You okay, Maya? I couldn't find you in your room." Jared had stood by her door for almost ten minutes, waiting to be allowed entry, but when he had realised that she wasn't inside, he had begun his search of the city, instantly realising where she would be.**_

_**"Yeah, I just needed a bit of fresh air." The blonde didn't look up from her lap as her legs swung from the edge of the building, heels of her boots falling back against the bricks. **_

_**Jared smiled to himself, looking forward to the impending look of pure irritation on his best friend's face the next morning when she would undoubtedly notice the scuffs and scratches on the backs of her shoes.**_

_**The man sat beside her, his legs dangling from the ledge of the tall building, and wrapped his leather jacket, warm with his body heat, around her bare shoulders, nodding in acknowledgement of her murmured 'thanks'. "I get the feeling, I hate being forced to lay low after these missions. Makes me feel trapped."**_

_**Maya nodded her head, leaning to the side and resting her head on his shoulder as she stared out at the buildings, pitch black contrasting against bright neon lights that lit up the surrounding navy sky, it should've been lit up by the small stars. "Do you ever wonder if you could go back and do something differently, see what would change?"**_

_**Jared couldn't quite hide the surprise and hurt in his voice as he looked away from the stretches of sky, "you don't want to be in S.H.I.E.L.D.?"**_

_**"You misunderstand," the girl sighed, "I love it here, but I wish I hadn't been forced to join. I mean, I like to think that I'd have been able to choose to work for S.H.I.E.L.D. without being forced to - it was join or be put on death row. My choice was obvious...but no, I don't regret it. I'd never regret it. I've never had more than I do now."**_

She stared out at New York, her eyes scanning over the silhouettes of the skyscrapers as she got lost in her thoughts, remembering days long gone where she and her big brother sat on the edge of tall buildings, talking about everything and nothing both at the same time. Could she have done anything to save him?

"Maya!"

With a faint flinch, the girl looked up, very narrowly missing spilling her drink down the floor-length white dress she was wearing - it was with only Tony that she would allow her prosthetic leg to be seen, and even at that moment, it was one of her casual legs that blended in with her skin to the point where you had to be focussed on her leg to notice that it wasn't real - courtesy of Tony Stark himself.

"Yes? I was lost in thought," the girl shrugged gently as way of explanation, not apologising.

Tony nodded, his eyes narrowed slightly, "I wanted to know if you wanted to get Chinese for dinner?"

The girl smiled at him, about to answer, when the voice of her friend's AI, JARVIS, cut in alerting them to the arrival of Phil Coulson.

Despite Tony's attempts to drive him away, Phil appeared in the doorway, stepping out of the elevator solemnly - this was an expression that Maya knew very well and didn't like seeing.

"What's happened?"

Phil sighed softly, handing her a tablet that detailed a series of events. The compound had been brought down by a maniac from another world, resulting in hundreds of deaths, and apparently she and Tony - or Iron Man - were needed to locate a Tesseract and bring the 'God' down.

"Welcome back, Agent Lynch." He handed her another tablet, one with her own file lighting up the screen along with a stamp she hadn't noticed previously. Declaring her as eligible for the Avengers Initiative.

Although Maya had been reinstated months previously, though she had been restricted to desk work and only the shortest of missions, so she was excited to get back into field work.

"Wait, I get you want me as a field agent at this time, Coulson, but what is this about the Avengers? I can't do that - I've not got any super strength or robot suits!"

Her SO smirked at her, his eyes glinting devilishly as he began to speak in a passionate voice, quiet enough that they wouldn't be overheard by the other two who were having their own tense conversation, "you're one of our highest esteemed Agents, Lynch, you can hit a headshot from miles away, you can take down a man double your size, you are an incredibly smart young lady and without your instructions on missions where you have taken lead, many Agents would undoubtedly have died. Without you, the Avengers will not work."

His eyes promised a more informative talk later.

As the girl digested what he had said, the older Agent took back the tablet, "and also, Romanoff and Barton will also be on the Avengers."

With a faint nod, the girl stood straight, rising from her slouched position as her face became blank and cold, "I'll go and change, then. I assume we will be occupying the Quinjet?"

With hesitant affirmation from her oldest friend, the girl swept from the room, her haughty mask fully intact if not for the faintly unsteady breaths that passed her trembling lips.


	4. 4

The girl pasted on her perfected calm and cold mask as she navigated her way through the Quinjet, heading for the landing spot where she would meet with Coulson and the new Avengers recruits.

As she walked through the corridors, she mentally did an inventory on the weapons she had with her, trying to be positive that she hadn't forgotten anything vital - of course, the majority of her personal items were already in her quarters, but one could _never_ be too prepared.

"You must be Agent Lynch," a calm voice alerted her to the woman approaching - she wondered whether her skills had deserted her in her time off, but was relieved - in a way - to see Agent Romanoff standing beside her.

"Agent Romanoff, I've heard a lot about you."

"Likewise." The single word was short and blunt, matching the cool posture of the Spy.

Despite sharing a handler and having a mutual friend in Agent Barton, Natasha Romanoff and Maya Lynch has not yet officially met in the years of working for SHIELD. Of course, short greetings were exchanged in passing, but neither had gone out of their way to become acquainted.

The two of them watched silently from the landing area as the newly designed jet landed and two men stepped off the ramp before making their way towards them.

"Agent Romanoff, Agent Lynch," Coulson greeted them with a slight nod, "Captain Rogers."

Maya gave her mentor a slight smile, "Fury needs you on the bridge, Boss, they're just about to start the face trace."

"There was quite a buzz around here, when they found you in the ice," Romanoff said to Captain Rogers as the three began to walk away from the now empty jet, Maya looked back at it with a slightly wary expression, "I thought Coulson was gonna swoon."

"He did," Maya cut in quietly.

"Did he ask you to sign his trading cards yet?"

"Trading cards?" The Captain repeated, bewildered.

"They're vintage, he's very proud," the two females intoned in unison, having heard the same speech multiple times from Coulson - Steve Rogers, Captain America, was his hero.

"Doctor Banner," Rogers called, noticing the timid man as he stood unsurely by one of the older jets, one that hadn't been updated yet - an exact replica of the one from just over a year previously.

"Excuse me," Maya murmured, her voice cool and emotionless.

She turned back and made her way towards the bridge where she knew Director Fury and Agent Coulson to be.

She could barely hear their introductions over the roaring wind in her ears. Not that she needed to - there would be time to play nice when the target was either subdued or neutralised completely. She knew which she preferred, of course, after all the target had done.

Natasha Romanoff, well renowned spy known best by her code name - the Black Widow - gained from her childhood experiences in a school which aimed to create young assassins, watched as the younger Agent left the area. Her pace a beat faster than was normal, slightly uneven steps (though that wasn't completely unexpected after the injury).

Understanding quickly lit her eyes as the jet beside them caught her gaze - she wasn't surprised that the girl refused to so much as get close to that jet, Coulson wouldn't use it either. Of course, Natasha would likely react in a similar way if Clint were to be killed in a similar way - a partner was not only a partner, but someone you had to trust with your life, someone who held your life in their hands and vice versa.

Recognising the confused looks on the faces of the two men, she spoke up, mentioning the impending lack of air as a means of distraction because even if she didn't know the girl well, or at all, her business was just that - her own.

"We've got a hit," Maya explained to the trio as they entered the room filled with technicians and computers only a couple of moments later - she watched as Captain America looked around, his expression mystified and confused by the foreign technology as Coulson interrogated him about signing his cards, "in Stuttgart, Germany."

"He's not exactly hiding," the technician running the tracker mentioned, looking up at them.

"Captain, Lynch, you're up," Director Nick Fury commanded.

Maya nodded, making her way towards the helipad - if she had to travel on a jet, then she would at least need to have control.

With her hands clutching the control wheel tightly enough that her knuckles were turning pale, the girl stared straight ahead, her eyes scanning the clear sky for even the slightest hint of danger as they hovered directly above Loki Laufeyson, a self-proclaimed God. Natasha sat silently in the copilot seat, an icy stern expression on her face, though she didn't seem any less alert than usual.

She watched as the deluded villain forced the civilians to kneel before him, watched as one man refused to do so and watched as Captain America diverted the jet of light heading for the brave man.

The old Captain gave his little speech before he began to brawl with the god, both moving too fast for Natasha to get a clear shot at Loki.

As if it couldn't get worse, Rogers obviously didn't have the upper hand, kept being thrown about and ended up without his shield more times than he had it. The 'god' was obviously enjoying himself, Maya observed, and he definitely had power on his side - perhaps the Captain had grown stiff from his time in the ice.

Natasha huffed quietly and Maya suppressed a smirk as glowing red letters appeared on the screen, alerting them to a system override - the reason for this being that Tony Stark just _had_ to have a dramatic entrance, AC/DC's 'Shoot to Thrill' blasting through the jet's speakers as he landed, an array of weapons all pointing at the one man, "make your move, Reindeer Games."


End file.
